Businesses want to help
28 Jun 2011
Australian small business owners may be an untapped resource for Australian charities with almost 75 percent of Aussie small business owners wanting to be more involved with their local community.
According to the Bank of Queensland’s Straight Talk Survey, a regular nation-wide survey that canvasses the views and experiences of small business owners, while a number of SMEs are donating their time and resources to lend a hand, almost three quarters indicated they want to be more involved.
Almost 50 per cent of businesses, who are active in their communities, sponsor a local charity or sporting team. The question remains what can be done to make the process of charitable giving or volunteering easier for other SMEs who want to give back to their local communities but who are struggling with time constraints?
BOQ Docklands branch manager, Siew Wong Chan said small businesses should be encouraged to investigate affordable donation alternatives which suit their time challenges.
“While many small business owners are time-poor, there are a number of opportunities and avenues small businesses could investigate in order to play an active role within their communities,” Mr Chan said.
“The recent natural disasters around the country have highlighted a few alternatives for businesses wanting to donate goods and services. For example, a gym opened its doors for free to flood workers, not only for a cleansing workout, but also for free showers to wash away the mud.”
The benefits of businesses thinking outside the square when it comes to community donations leads back to the significant amount of marketing goodwill generated by donating facilities or even a day to a particular charity or cause.
“There is a lot that can be done to benefit local communities and the benefits of building goodwill can be financial as well as emotional for small businesses,” Mr Chan said.
“Other avenues for donations could be giving away old business computers or printers which are no longer used or have been upgraded. Donating a day is also a very effective way to contribute to the community.”
“The challenge for both corporations and charitable organisations alike is to find a workable solution to help both the community and businesses.”
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